The 100% complete, first post-Academy Award winning Martin Scorsese movie - the psychological mind-fuck insane asylum, potentially mainstream/oscar worthy Leonardo DiCaprio and his famous friends thriller - has been delayed by six months. The long projected Oct. 2nd 2009 opening, now becomes Feb 19th 2010. The movie severely cuts down the Oscar chances of a film that really did seem like it could be a serious contender for several categories, despite it's attractiveness to the average movie-goer, it's lack of a deep resonant theme and it's sole goal to entertain whilst creeping you the hell out. Apparently the move has nothing to do with the quality of the picture according to Nikki Finke, as the film has scored very high at test screenings, the trailer has kicked up a storm online, the movie has genuine heat and interest (two people from my walk of life who wouldn't read my site or one of my peers if I paid them have told me several times the movie looks immense) and well when does Scorsese ever let you down? The delay is all about the money. Finke's Paramount source says...
I hear that Paramount told the filmmakers it doesn't have the financing in 2009 to spend the $50M to $60M necessary to market a big awards pic like this. I'm also told that, among the many reasons for the move, Leo wasn't going to be available to promote the pic internationally.
Add that to the fact that there are now 10 Oscar nominations for Best Picture this year, and maybe it might just sneak a nomination in February without money being spent on a big campaign, a month where a similarly mainstream hit Silence of the Lambs picked up a late nomination in 1991 and went away with the Best Picture Oscar.